The present invention relates to a new and improved apparatus and method for picking up and removing objects, and specifically, although not inclusively, picking up and removing animal excrements.
In the context of this disclosure, and while the invention has particular utility with respect to the removal of animal excrements, it should be understood that the term "objects" is used in broader sense as referring to any contamination or waste and is not simply specific to the removal of such type substances or "objects", as the disclosure will clearly suggest other possible uses of the apparatus.
It has been frequently observed that animals, expressly domestic pets, including dogs, tend to deposit their feces or excrements at locations which are particularly annoying to humans. Oftentimes, deposits occur at parking garages, areas in front of or in houses and other buildings, parks, trails, sidewalks and other paths used by pedestrians or hikers. Up to the present, the removal of such feces or excrements has been associated with considerable difficulties and, in instances where there was not available a suitable removal device, such feces removal was not possible.
Similar waste disposal problems can arise in hospitals, nursing homes, kitchens and the like, where oftentimes waste material, such as for instance, cotton, glass, needles and other contaminated objects or articles are to be removed.
One such removal device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,442 to Larson. This device has a receiver portion formed of relatively rigid material and is intended to be engaged by an operator for reception of the object to be picked up. The device includes a plastic bag having a receiver portion at one end through which objects are deposited and rest on the bag. The bag can forwardly be turned over and if desired closed. However, when sharpened objects or heavy objects are picked up and placed in the plastic bag, these objects can create cuts or openings. Objects piercing through these openings can cause injury to the operator when carried. Further, the object can leak from the bag again recreating the disposal problem.
Other devices have been used to pick up objects, however, these devices are typically complicated to construct and require a large number of expensive and time consuming processing steps.